An example of a PDP is a three-electrode surface-discharge type of PDP. A three-electrode surface-discharge type PDP includes sustain electrodes, scan electrodes, and address electrodes. The sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes are parallel to each other on the same plane of a front substrate. The address electrodes are provided in a rear substrate in a direction crossing the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes.
Barrier ribs are provided between the front substrate and the rear substrate, i.e., between the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes and between the sustain electrodes and the address electrodes. In the barrier ribs, discharge cells are formed at portions where the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes disposed in parallel cross the address electrodes. The discharge cells are filled with a discharge gas.
The PDP selects a turn-on discharge cell through an address discharge by a scan pulse applied to the scan electrodes and an address pulse applied to the address electrodes, and implements images through a sustain discharge by a sustain pulse that is alternately applied to sustain electrodes and scan electrodes of the selected discharge cell.
The PDP includes the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes at the front of the discharge cells. Therefore, the PDP generates a plasma discharge at each inner surface of the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes and diffuses the plasma discharge toward the rear substrate. The plasma discharge excites phosphors within the discharge cells to generate visible rays.
The sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes provided in the front substrate reduce the aperture ratio of the discharge cells and lower the transmittance of visible rays, which are generated within the discharge cells and directed toward the front substrate.
Therefore, the three-electrode surface-discharge type of PDP has low brightness or low luminous efficiency. If the PDP is used for a long period of time, charged particles of the discharge gas generate ion sputtering in the phosphors by way of an electric field. This may result in permanent after-images.